New gTLD Program
Community Priority Evaluation Report
Report Date: 3 September 2015
Application ID:
Applied-for String:
Applicant Name:

1-1744-1971
CPA
CPA Australia Ltd

Overall Community Priority Evaluation Summary
Community Priority Evaluation Result
Did Not Prevail
Thank you for your participation in the New gTLD Program. After careful consideration and extensive
review of the information provided in your application, including documents of support, the Community
Priority Evaluation panel determined that the application did not meet the requirements specified in the
Applicant Guidebook. Your application did not prevail in Community Priority Evaluation.
Your application may still resolve string contention through the other methods as described in Module 4 of
the Applicant Guidebook.
Panel Summary
Overall Scoring

12 Point(s)Criteria#1: Community Establishment#2: Nexus between Proposed String and Community#3: Registration Policies#4: Community Endorsement
Total

Earned404412Achievable
4
4
4
4
16

Minimum Required Total Score to Pass 14

Criterion #1: Community Establishment
4/4 Point(s)1-A Delineation
2/2 Point(s)The Community Priority Evaluation panel determined that the community as defined by the application met
the criterion for Delineation as specified in section 4.2.3 (Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the
Applicant Guidebook (AGB), as the community defined in the application demonstrates sufficientdelineation, organization, and pre-existence. The application received a score of 2 out of 2 points undercriterion 1-A: Delineation.
Delineation
Two conditions must be met to fulfill the requirements for delineation: there must be a clear, straightforward
membership definition and there must be awareness and recognition of a community (as defined by theapplication) among its members.
Page 1

According to the application, the
CPA Australia community consists of CPA Australia members, incorporating full CPA members,
Associate members enrolled in a CPA professional program and students registered in the CPA
Australia passport program, as well as reciprocal members who have applied, or are eligible to apply,
for membership of CPA Australia…
The last category of “reciprocal members” are accountants associated with accounting bodies
with which CPA Australia has Mutual Recognition Agreements, comprising the following:- Certified General Accountants and Certified Management Accountants in Canada- Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants in Europe- Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland- Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants- Institute of Chartered Accountants in India- Malaysian Institute of Accountants- Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Singapore
Individuals wishing to become reciprocal members of CPA Australia must in their application to CPA
Australia verify their membership in one of the above organizations. According to the application, “A CPA isa finance, accounting and business professional with a specific qualification.” Elsewhere in its application,
CPA is referred to as a “Certified Practicing Accountant”. Their organization also includes members ofreciprocal organizations that define CPA as “Certified Public Accountant”.
According to the AGB, “Delineation relates to the membership of a community, where a clear and straightforward membership definition scores high, while an unclear, dispersed or unbound definition scores low.”
As required by the AGB, the application shows a clear and straight-forward membership definition, given theclarity of CPA Australia’s own membership structure, used by the applicant for the purposes of defining the
proposed community. The membership process for CPA Australia includes an application, verification ofcompletion of educational and practical training requirements, as well as payment of fees for assessment ofapplication and membership dues.1 Thus, membership in the community as defined by the applicant can beclearly verified by way of organizational membership in CPA Australia.
According to the AGB’s second Delineation criterion, “community” implies “more of cohesion than a merecommonality of interest” and there should be “an awareness and recognition of a community among its
members.” The community as defined in the application has awareness and recognition among its members.
This is because the community as defined consists entirely of finance, accounting and business professionals
who have opted to organize themselves by way of membership in CPA Australia. These members cohere by
way of a shared organizational mission, professional status, and participation in the several events andtraining programs hosted by CPA Australia on a yearly basis in and outside of Australia2.
The Panel determined that the community as defined in the application satisfies both of the conditions tofulfill the requirements for delineation.
Organization
Two conditions must be met to fulfill the requirements for organization: there must be at least one entity
mainly dedicated to the community and there must be documented evidence of community activities.
According to the AGB, “organized implies that there is at least one entity mainly dedicated to the community,with documented evidence of community activities.” The applicant, CPA Australia Ltd, is itself anorganization that is expressly dedicated to its membership, i.e., the community as defined in the application.
1 See fee section of CPA Australia website: https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/member-services/fees/australia
2 See events section of CPA Australia website: https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events/conferences

Page 2CPA Australia Ltd has not organized itself or its members for the purposes of obtaining a TLD but has
served the members of its defined community as a matter of its mission. Additionally, as required by the
AGB, CPA Australia Ltd hosts regular activities serving its membership in Australia and elsewhere, bothonline and offline.3
The Panel determined that the community as defined in the application satisfies both of the conditions tofulfill the requirements for organization.
Pre-existence
To fulfill the requirements for pre-existence, the community must have been active prior to September 2007
(when the new gTLD policy recommendations were completed) and must display an awareness andrecognition of a community among its members.
The community as defined in the application, i.e., the CPA Australia membership, has been active prior to
September 2007 as required by the AGB, section 4.2.3. The organization was founded in 1886 and has been
increasingly active since then.4 As discussed above, CPA Australia’s membership, in addition to being active
prior to 2007, demonstrate the AGB’s requirements for awareness and recognition.
The Panel determined that the community as defined in the application fulfills the requirements for preexistence.
1-B Extension
2/2 Point(s)The Panel determined that the community as identified in the application met the criterion for Extension
specified in section 4.2.3 (Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the AGB, as the application fulfilled
the requirements for the size and longevity of the community. The application received a score of 2 out of 2
points under criterion 1-B: Extension.
Size
Two conditions must be met to fulfill the requirements for size: the community must be of considerable size
and must display an awareness and recognition of a community among its members.
The community as defined in the application is of considerable size. According to the applicant’s website,“CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies with a global membership of more than
150,000 members working in 120 countries around the world.”5 Additionally, as discussed above, thecommunity defined by the application demonstrates the recognition and awareness required by the AGB.
The Panel determined that the community as defined in the application satisfies both of the conditions tofulfil the requirements for size.
Longevity
Two conditions must be met to fulfill the requirements for longevity: the community must demonstrate
longevity and must display an awareness and recognition of a community among its members.
The community as defined in the application demonstrates longevity. CPA Australia’s membership has
continued to grow since its founding and the organization has established itself strongly within the finance,accounting, and business professions. Moreover, demand for individuals with the CPA qualification is likely
to continue to be robust. According to the Australian Department of Employment, “Employers generally
sought bachelor degree qualified accountants with most also requiring certification as a Chartered
Accountant (CA) or Certified Practising Accountant (CPA)”6. In addition, the Australian Labour Force
3 See training and events: https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/training-and-events
4 See CPA Australia History archive: https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/about-us/our-history/archives
5 See https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/about-us; note that below, in Nexus, the Panel cites the application’s figures

which, at the time of submission, were different than the website currently states.
6 See http://docs.employment.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/2211accountantaus_1.pdf
Page 3

Survey figures show that employment of accountants increased by 9.4% year on year in May 2014 to
181,9007. Based on the above, the Panel has determined that the pursuits of the community are of a lasting,non-transient nature. Additionally, as discussed above, the community defined by the application
demonstrates the recognition and awareness required by the AGB.
The Panel determined that the community as defined in the application satisfies both of the conditions tofulfill the requirements for longevity.
Criterion #2: Nexus between Proposed String and Community
0/4 Point(s)2-A Nexus
0/3 Point(s)The Panel determined that the application did not meet the criterion for Nexus as specified in section 4.2.3(Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the AGB. The string does not identify or match the name of thecommunity as defined in the application, nor is it a well-known short-form or abbreviation of thecommunity. The application received a score of 0 out of 3 points under criterion 2-A: Nexus.
To receive the maximum score for Nexus, the applied-for string must match the name of the community or
be a well-known short-form or abbreviation of the community name. To receive a partial score for Nexus (of2 out of 3 points; 1 point is not possible), the applied-for string must identify the community. “Identify
means that the applied-for string should closely describe the community or the community members,
without over-reaching substantially beyond the community.”
According to the application, the applied for string .CPA isan exact match to CPA Australia’s globally recognised and respected “CPA” Program and “CPA”
designation. The fast-growing CPA Australia community is one of the leading global accounting
communities with nearly 140,000 CPA members in 114 countries and an international network ofaccountants and young professionals. The term “CPA” originates from CPA Australia and CPAs areglobally recognised as belonging to the CPA Australia community…
As such, a CPA working in one of the world’s leading business hubs, such as Sydney, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, London and New York, is clearly identified as a member of the CPA Australia
community. The new .cpa gTLD is synonymous with the CPA Australia community, theidentification of members of CPA Australia community, and CPA Australia’s globally recognised
professional accountancy program and designation.
According to the AGB, “identify means that the applied for string closely describes the community or thecommunity members, without over-reaching substantially beyond the community” (AGB, 4.2.3, emphasis added), andthe applied-for string must at least identify the community for full or partial credit. Despite the applicant’s
claim above, “a CPA working in one of the world’s leading business hubs” is not necessarily “identified as amember of the CPA Australia community”. That is because, the term “CPA” in the context of accounting isoften used to mean Certified Public Accountant and to identify an individual who has passed a CPA exam,
often in reference to the Uniform CPA Examination used in the US and elsewhere. Indeed, there are
estimated to be about 650,000 Certified Public Accountants (i.e., individuals who have passed the Uniform
CPA Examination) in the United States8. The vast majority of these individuals are not included in theapplicant’s defined community (which has a size of about 150,000 individuals), but the applied-for string
nevertheless refers to them.9 The Panel has determined, therefore, that the string is “over-reaching
7 Ibid.

8 http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2013/06/26/enrolled-agents-deserve-more-respect/,

http://nasba.org/blog/2010/01/07/january-2010-nasba-addresses-aicpa-sec-conference/
9 The Panel acknowledges receipt of a letter from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) insupport of CPA Australia’s application. The letter makes reference to how the two organizations will “jointly operate
this extension” and that the AICPA’s membership will be included in the community represented by the string.
However, despite the letter, the substance of CPA Australia’s application, in particular its sections on Delineation andPage 4

substantially beyond the community” (AGB) and cannot identify the community as required for credit on
Nexus.
The Panel determined that the applied-for string does not match or identify the community or thecommunity members as defined in the application. It therefore does not meet the requirements for Nexus.
2-B Uniqueness
0/1 Point(s)The Panel determined that the application did not meet the criterion for Uniqueness as specified in section
4.2.3 (Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the AGB, as the string does not score a 2 or a 3 on Nexus.
The application received a score of 0 out of 1 point under criterion 2-B: Uniqueness.
To fulfill the requirements for Uniqueness, the string must have no other significant meaning beyond
identifying the community described in the application and it must also score a 2 or a 3 on Nexus. The string
as defined in the application does not demonstrate uniqueness as the string does not score a 2 or a 3 on
Nexus and is therefore ineligible for a score of 1 for Uniqueness. This is based on the Panel’s determinationthat the applied-for string “.CPA” does not identify the community defined by the application according to
AGB standards. Therefore, since the string does not identify the community, it cannot be said to “have noother significant meaning beyond identifying the community” (AGB, emphasis added). The Panel determined thatthe applied-for string does not satisfy the condition to fulfill the requirements for Uniqueness.
Criterion #3: Registration Policies
4/4 Point(s)3-A Eligibility
1/1 Point(s)The Panel determined that the application met the criterion for Eligibility as specified in section 4.2.3(Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the AGB, as eligibility is restricted to community members. The
application received a maximum score of 1 point under criterion 3-A: Eligibility.
To fulfill the requirements for Eligibility, the registration policies must restrict the eligibility of prospective
registrants to community members. According to the application:
As a restricted gTLD, registration will only be open to members of the defined CPA Australia
community who meet the eligibility requirements set out in the registration policy, and no other third
parties will be able to register domain names under .cpa domain space.
The application therefore demonstrates adherence to the AGB’s requirement by restricting domain
registration to entities who are members of the community defined by the application. The Panel determinedthat the application satisfies the condition to fulfill the requirements for Eligibility.
3-B Name Selection
1/1 Point(s)The Panel determined that the application met the criterion for Name Selection as specified in section 4.2.3(Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the Applicant Guidebook, as name selection rules are consistent
with the articulated community-based purpose of the applied-for TLD. The application received a score of 1out of 1 point under criterion 3-B: Name Selection.
According to the application:
The types of domain names, which must be related to the CPA Australia community, permitted
under the .cpa gTLD will include the following:- Generic words including program.cpa, practice.cpa, congress.cpa, passport.cpa, member.cpa andassociate.cpa- Personalised names, for example, johnsmith.cpa- Geographic names such as australia.cpa, uk.cpa and hongkong.cpa- Combination of personalised and geographic names, for example, johnsmith.uk.cpa

Nexus, is unchanged. Moreover, the Panel cannot, per AGB guidelines, credit the letter in any way other than as support
for the applicant.
Page 5

Therefore, the Panel determined that the application did satisfy the conditions to fulfill the requirements for
Name Selection rules that are consistent with the applicant’s community-based purpose, which is to serve“the interests of CPA Australia’s membership of accounting, finance and business advisory professionals
across the world, as well as internet users more generally.”
3-C Content and Use
1/1 Point(s)The Panel determined that the application met the criterion for Content and Use as specified in section 4.2.3(Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the Applicant Guidebook, as the content and use rules included
are consistent with the articulated community-based purpose of the applied-for TLD. The application
therefore received a score of 1 point under criterion 3-C: Content and Use.
To fulfill the requirements for Content and Use, the registration policies for content and use must be
consistent with the articulated community-based purpose of the applied-for gTLD. According to theapplication:
Domain names under the .cpa gTLD must only provide content that is related to CPA profession
and business and be used in a professional manner in accordance with CPA Australia’s Code ofProfessional Conduct relevant to community members….
The Registrant must represent and warrant that:(i) it meets, and will continue to meet, the eligibility criteria at all times and must notify the Registrar
if it ceases to meet such criteria;(ii) the Domain Name will only be used to provide content that relates to the CPA profession andbusiness and will at all times be used in a professional manner in compliance with CPA Australia’s
Code of Professional Conduct and regulations relevant to community members…
The application therefore demonstrates adherence to the AGB’s requirement of content and use rules thatare consistent with the application’s community-based purpose, which is to serve “the interests of CPA
Australia’s membership of accounting, finance and business advisory professionals across the world, as wellas internet users more generally.”
3-D Enforcement
1/1 Point(s)The Panel determined that the application meets the criterion for Enforcement as specified in section 4.2.3(Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the AGB. The application provides specific enforcement
measures and outlines a coherent and appropriate appeals mechanisms. The application received a score of 1
point under criterion 3-D: Enforcement.
Two conditions must be met to fulfill the requirements for Enforcement: the registration policies must
include specific enforcement measures constituting a coherent set, and there must be appropriate appeals
mechanisms. According to the application:
The Registrant acknowledges that the Registry may suspend, transfer, cancel or revoke a Domain
Name immediately at its sole discretion:(i) in the event that the Registrant breaches any Registry Rules;(ii) in the event that the Registrant breaches the terms and conditions of this registration policy;(iii) in the event that the Registrant breaches CPA Australia’s Code of Professional Conduct or otherapplicable regulations;(iv) to comply with applicable law, court order, government rule or under any dispute resolution
processes…
Upon receipt of a complaint or allegation of a breach by a CPA Australia Community member of
the terms and conditions of this registration policy, CPA Australia’s Constitution and By-Laws orother applicable rules and regulations in relation to the registration or use of a Domain Name, theRegistry will undertake a rigorous and transparent enforcement process consisting of:(i) Investigation;(ii) Hearing;
Page 6

(iii) Evaluation & disciplinary action (where appropriate); and(iv) Right to appeal
The applicant outlined policies that include specific enforcement measures constituting a coherent set and an
appeals mechanism. The Panel determined that the application satisfies both of the two conditions to fulfill
the requirements for Enforcement and therefore scores 1 point.
Criterion #4: Community Endorsement
4/4 Point(s)Support for or opposition to a CPE gTLD application may come by way of an application comment on
ICANN’s website, attachment to the application, or by correspondence with ICANN. The Panel reviews
these comments and documents and as applicable attempts to verify them as per the guidelines published on
the ICANN CPE website. Further details and procedures regarding the review and verification process may
be found at http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/cpe. The table below summarizes the review andverification of all support for and opposition to the CPA Australia Ltd. application for the string “CPA”.
Summary of Review & Verification of Support/Opposition Materials as of 10 July 2015
Total Received andReviewed

Total Valid for
Verification

Verification
Attempted

Successfully
Verified

Application
Comments

0

0

0

0

Attachments to
20(f)

9

6

6

3

Correspondence

3

1

1

1

Grand Total

12

7

7

4

4-A Support
2/2 Point(s)The Community Priority Evaluation panel determined that the application fully met the criterion for Support
specified in section 4.2.3 (Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the Applicant Guidebook, as theapplicant had documented support from the recognized community institution(s)/member organization(s).
The application received a maximum score of 2 points under criterion 4-A: Support. To receive themaximum score for Support, the applicant is, or has documented support from, the recognized community
institution(s)/member organization(s), or has otherwise documented authority to represent the community.
“Recognized” means those institution(s)/organization(s) that, through membership or otherwise, are clearlyrecognized by the community members as representative of the community. To receive a partial score for
Support, the applicant must have documented support from at least one group with relevance.
Because the applicant, CPA Australia, is applying for a gTLD intended for use by the membership of CPA
Australia, the Panel determined that the applicant was itself the recognized community institution/member
organization. A recognized community institution or member organization is one which not only (1)represents the entirety of the community as defined by the application, but is also (2) recognized by the samecommunity as its representative. CPA Australia’s role in establishing educational and professional standards
for certified public accountants in its membership means that both of these standards are met. The
Community Priority Evaluation Panel determined that the applicant therefore satisfies the requirements forfull credit for Support.
Page 7

4-B Opposition
2/2 Point(s)The Community Priority Evaluation panel has determined that the application met the criterion for
Opposition specified in section 4.2.3 (Community Priority Evaluation Criteria) of the Applicant Guidebook,as the application received no relevant opposition. The application received a score of 2 out of 2 points
under criterion 4-B: Opposition.
To receive the maximum score for Opposition, the application must not have received any opposition of
relevance. To receive a partial score for Opposition, the application must have received opposition from, at
most, one relevant group of non-negligible size. The Community Priority Evaluation panel has determinedthat there is no relevant opposition to the application. Therefore, the Panel has determined that the applicant
partially satisfied the requirements for Opposition.
Disclaimer: Please note that these Community Priority Evaluation results do not necessarily determine thefinal result of the application. In limited cases the results might be subject to change. These results do notconstitute a waiver or amendment of any provision of the AGB or the Registry Agreement. For updated
application status and complete details on the program, please refer to the AGB and the ICANN New
gTLDs microsite at <newgtlds.icann.org>.

Page 8